Steam and water separator



STEAM AND WATER SEPARATOR ENVENTOFZ ft: wwi

iii v- 0 i W/ ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 29, 1938 PATENT OFFICE STEAM AND WATER SEPARATOR Wilfred Rothery Wood, New York, N. Y., as-

signor to Combustion Engineering Company, Inc., New York, N. Y.., a corporation of Delaware 'Original application June 19, 1934, Serial No.

731,223. Divided and this application September 27, 1935, Serial No. 42,423

2 Claims.

This invention relates to steam and water separation and has for its primary object the provision of a simple and effective separator which is particularly adapted for use in steam generators such as disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 731,223, filed June 19th, 1934, of which this application is a division.

More specific objects and the advantages of my invention will be hereinafter fully described.

How the foregoing, together with such other objects and advantages "as may hereafter appear or are incident to my invention, are realized is illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through a steam generator embodying a steam and water separator constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. w a

The steam generator in which I have embodied my separator is of vertical cylindrical or circular form and comprises in general an upright lower water drum 8, an upright upper steam and water drum 9 spaced above and aligned with the lower drum 8, a plurality of upright boiler tubes con-= necting said drums, a combustion chamber' to and burner means II for admitting fuel and air into the combustion chamber.

The upright boiler tubes are arranged in two circular groups I2 and IS with the inner group l2 comprising a plurality of concentric rows of circularly arranged tubes 14, i5, iG, and M, and the outer group a row of circularly arranged tubes IS. The outer group or ring of tubes it radially spaced from the inner group or cyli. cal bank i2 so that an annular space is proudest therebetween which constitutes the combustion chamber It.

The upright boiler tubes are bent at their lower and upper ends for direct connection into the lower and upper drums 8 and 9 respectively, it being noted that the tubes l8 of the outer group I3 connect into the steam space of the drum 9 as do also certain of the tubes of the group i2, for example, the tubes of the row It, and that the remaining rows of tubes of the inner group connect into the water space of said drum. The boiler tubes enter the drums radially and are arranged in 'a plurality oigroups circumflex-em tially of the drums each consisting of a number of tubes successively entering the drums at higher points as indicated at IS in the upper drum of Figure 1.

It will be seen that closed inner and outer steam evaporating walls are provided for the annular combustion chamber Ill. The combustion chamber I0 is provided with a bottom 22 supported by the tubes it at their lower portions and adapted to retain molten slag which may be removed intermittently or continuously as by means of a tap 23 to maintain a predetermined level of the slag. An annular member 24 extending downwardly from the outer ring of tubes it of the inner bani; completes the bottom construction.

Fuel, preferably pulverized coal, is introduced into the lower portion of the combustion chamher by means of the peripherally arranged nozzles ill, and in this instance I have shown four such nozzles equally spaced circumierentially of the combustion chamber and positioned to introduce the fuel in a manner to produce a swirllng flame sweeping over the wall tubes and spiralling upwardly through the chamber. Air,

preferably preheated, is admitted with the fuel by means of damper controlled air passages 25 in "which the nozzles it are located, the air being supplied to the passages from a conduit 2b in the form of ring having an inlet for the preheated air. Similarly, a conduit 28 in the form of ring having a fuel inlet, supplies the nozzles it with iuel.

At the upper portion of the boiler a chamber is provided in surrounding relation to the upper drum t. This chamber is preferably of greater diameter than the boiler proper and has a superheater 32 located in the enlarged portion. The superheater comprises upright superheater tubes 33, directiy connected at one end into the upper portion of the drum 9 as indicated at it iii/Figure l, to receive steam. At their other ends these tubes are connected into a circular header from which the superheated steam is withdrawn for delivery to the point of use.

The upper chamber (it is in communication with the combustion chamber ill by means of the outlet 35 through which the products of combustion pass upwardly into the chamber 3 i. Baffie means 3? of annular form is provided in the chamber 35 for directing the products of combustion upwardly over the superheater 32 and from thence downwardly over and among the tubes of the inner bank iii. The products of combustion exit through an ofitahe 3d at the lower portion of the bank i2.

Referring now to the upper steam and water drum 9, it is to be observed that because of its height and vertical disposition as much as 50% oi the steam is made and discharged above the water level. However, water will be lifted with the steam that is discharged into the drum but as the upward velocity in the drum is comparatively low, much of the water will fall out of the steam before it reaches the top of the drum where t a superheater tubes enter it. The large space between the water level and the point where the steam is taken off not only affords great opportunity for the water to fall out of the steam but also provides room for a very effective form of water separator for insuring driersteam.

My improved separator ll is of cylindrical form and comprises a tapered or conical casing 42 having a bottom 43, a top 44, and a plurality of peripherally arranged vanes 45 immediately below the top 44 providing a plurality of tangential wet steam inlets to the interior of the casing 42. The diameter of the top equals that of the interior of the drum and this top is located Just below the points of connection 34 of the superheater tubes so that the steam and the water carried thereby cannot enter the superheater before separatlon is effected in the separator. The diameter at the vanes II is sufllciently less than the inner diameter of the drum to permit the wet steam to enter the separator and after it passes through the vanes it passes vortically downwardly and then the dewatered steam passes centrally upwardly through the cylindrical outlet 46 located centrally of the top plate and extending down into the casing ll. The water which passes downwardly is led from the casing 42 to the water space of the drum by means of a downwardly extending pipe 41, the lower end of which is submerged in the water in the drum.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a very eflective separator for upright steam and water drums which is located between the lower portion of the drum into which the steam generating tubes discharge and the upper portion of the drum from which the steam discharges and, therefore, divides the drum into upper and lower compartments; The mixture of steam and water in the lower compartment enters the separator and water is removed therefrom and returns to the water space of the drum while the steam freed of water passesthrough the upper axial outlet of the separator into the steam space of the drum.

The combination of the vertically high relatively small diametered steam and water drum and the centrifugal cyclone separator described is very eifectlve. It should also be notedvthat in this type of drum ample space is provided between the water level and the top of the drum for the accommodation of a centrifugal separator presenting relatively large contacting surface for the wet steamand substantial cross-sectional area reducing the rate of flow, thus ensuring effective separation.

I claim:-

I. In a steam generator of high capacity and rapid circulation having a vertical cylindrical steam and water drum of small diameter relative to its vertical length with steam evaporating tubes distributed around the drum to discharge into the lower portion thereof and providing a vertically long steam space above the point of discharge of said tubes, said drum having steam outlet from the upper part of said steam space. the combination of a centrifugal cyclone separator within said drum located in said steam space, said separator being circular in plan view and having a top member located below but in proximity to said steam outlet of the drum and dividing th; steam space of the drum into upper and lower compartments, a conical separator easing depending from said top member, means adjacent said member providing for tangential inlet of steam and water mixture into the interior of the casing, a water outlet in the lower portion of said casing for the discharge of water from the separator to the water space of the drum, and a steam outlet in said top member for the discharge of steam separated from water in the separator into the upper compartment of the steam space.

2. In a steam generatorof high capacity and rapid circulation having a vertical cylindrical steam and water drum of small diameter relative to its vertical length with steam evaporating tubes distributed around the drum to discharge into the lower portion thereof and providing a vertically long steam space above the point of discharge of said tubes, said drum having steam outlet from the upper part of said steam space, the combination of a centrifugal cyclone separator within said drum located in said steam space, said separator being circular in plan view and having a conical separator portion, upper tangential inlet for steam and water mixture from said space, an upper axial outlet for the discharge of steam freed of water into the portion of the steam space above the separator, a lower axial water outlet for the discharge of water from the separator into the lower portion of the drum. and means between said upper tangential inlet and said upper axial outlet for dividing said steamspaceofthedrumintoupperandlower compartment,

' WILPRID Y WOOD. 

